


The Greens and Golds of Chocolate Opal

by -catalyst (xo_thefirst)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Blood and Injury, Falling In Love, Government Agencies, M/M, Pining, Science Experiments, Undercover Missions, Violence, guns and knives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:59:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26722543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xo_thefirst/pseuds/-catalyst
Summary: Hinata Shouyou is the newest agent to join their ranks. Objectively, he’s actually very good—Atsumu can’t lie about that—, but Atsumu is also pretty sure Hinata is out to destroy him because, in no way whatsoever, should Hinata be smiling and smirking at him like he has an alternative motive to...whateverhe’s doing.AtsuHina Exchange gift for lumenera :)* sci-fi!au + osamu, kita
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Miya Atsumu
Comments: 8
Kudos: 103
Collections: AtsuHina Exchange





	The Greens and Golds of Chocolate Opal

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lumenera](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lumenera/gifts).



> this is more... flustered atsumu and confident shouyou than all the action, blood, and injuries mentioned.
> 
> i hope you enjoy!

Objectively speaking, Hinata Shouyou is an attractive man. With bright eyes, a lean body, and an infectious smile, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out why he’s gained so much attention by simply stepping into the establishment. Five people have already gone up to talk to him within the past two hours and Atsumu sips his drink as he watches a sixth go up the moment the last one leaves. It’s impressive by any means but, then again, Hinata’s still reasonably new in the company and word spreads fast when they have a foreigner in their midst.

It really shouldn’t be all that surprising either, considering how he came to join their ranks, but it still catches Atsumu off-guard when he finds their gazes meeting again for the nth time that night. He doesn’t even look away this time. Instead, he stares at him head-on and he refuses to acknowledge the heat gathering in his cheeks when he sees Hinata give him the smallest smirk he can muster while talking to the dark haired beauty in front of him.

“Are ya eye-fuckin’ the newbie?” comes a familiar voice. A voice so inherently drilled into his brain, that he immediately groans at the sound of it. “‘Cause, y’know, that’s completely normal an’ all.”

“‘Samu,” Atsumu growls, sliding his gaze to his brother behind the counter. His brother looks smug and he _hates_ it. “Mind yer business.”

“Yer sittin’ at my bar in my restaurant eyeing the newbie who replaced _my spot_ as yer partner. It sounds like it’s my business.”

There really isn’t anything he can refute in that statement, so Atsumu chooses to sip from his drink instead. He simply glares at his brother, watching as he makes another plate of onigiri for the party in his restaurant, and finally loosens up when he can actually _hear_ Hinata’s voice despite being across the room from him. He doesn’t know what the other man is saying, but his laughter is nice to hear and he’s beyond royally screwed.

He doesn’t even know what else to think. He and Hinata recently finished a case yesterday, finding and containing the suspect before anything dangerous happened, and they made it back into the city late last night only to sleep through the morning. They didn’t sleep _together_ in the same place, but they both knocked out the moment they arrived to their respective homes, and the only reason Atsumu knows this is because Tobio had mentioned it when he showed up to work at two in the afternoon.

It really shouldn’t be his business anyways. Sure, they work together and they’re partners, but two months isn’t worth the years he’s spent working with his own brother as his partner. It isn’t even worth the few years he spent with Shinsuke as his partner before he was promoted to another position in the company. He’s only known Hinata for two months and since when did he roll up the sleeves of his shirt? That raises his level of handsome by a mile and—fuck.

Hinata slides his gaze over to him again and Atsumu stops breathing. This time, it’s a small _smile_ that’s sent his way the moment Hinata lifts a hand to run fingers through his hair and this is in no way healthy to any extent. Atsumu feels like he shouldn’t even be alive with the way Hinata stares at him like he’s something special, like he’s someone who should be _eaten_. He’s pretty sure Hinata shouldn’t even be out on the streets if he already looks _this_ dangerous in a civilized setting with respected coworkers.

“Wouldja stop?” Osamu complains, smacking him on the head with something soft.

When Atsumu turns to sneer at him, he’s appalled to find his brother holding a dish rag. “Didja just hit me with a dish rag?” He almost flies across the counter when he sees Osamu smirk. “‘Samu, that’s disgustin’!”

“So is you eye-fuckin’—!”

“Another one, please,” comes a new voice, one so new yet familiar that Atsumu freezes in his seat. “Oh, which type of onigiri are you making now? It looks delicious!”

Atsumu wants to say that the only thing in front of them is a bowl of rice and some seaweed, but he doesn’t. He can’t open his mouth or turn to stare at the newcomer because now he’s all up close and personal and the regulation armlet secured around his left upper arm is warming quickly in the presence of one Hinata Shouyou.

“Are ya sure ya just ain’t hungry?” Osamu says with a laugh. He turns to grab something from the fridge behind him, but Atsumu can’t figure out what it is because the warmth in his arm is overtaking his body at an alarmingly fast rate. “Umeboshi. Give me a sec’ and I’ll give ya the first one.”

“Sure,” Hinata hums, moving closer to the counter. He’s giving Osamu his sweet smile and Atsumu would be concerned, considering how many times he’s seen that the past few days they’ve been out on a case, but the expression in his eyes are genuine and Atsumu relaxes enough to prop a hand up on the counter and lean his head into his palm. “What’s your favorite one to make?”

Atsumu can’t help looking over at Hinata. They’re so close that the warmth on his arm is exceedingly becoming soothing and it helps lull him into a strange sense of security. Hinata’s attention isn’t on him, but his presence is enough to make a mark on him and—goddammit, he shouldn’t be feeling this way at all. He finishes the last of his drink before sliding his glass towards his brother, finally looking away when Hinata glances at him out of the corner of his eyes.

Osamu snorts, “Ya want another one or ya done?”

“‘nother one,” Atsumu says without skipping a beat. He grins when his brother gives him and Hinata a plate of his freshly made umeboshi to go with it. “Aw, ya shouldn’t have.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” Osamu says with a roll of his eyes. He doesn’t waste his time reaching forward to ruffle Hinata’s hair and that surprises Atsumu more than the fact Hinata literally groans like he’s in heaven when he takes the first bite of his brother’s food. “It’s for him. If ya ask nicely, I’m sure he’d share though.”

It takes another moment for the words to process, along with the overly familiar actions between his brother and the newbie, and then Atsumu is sputtering as he chokes on thin air. “Wha— How long have ya known each other?” he spits out the moment he clears out his throat. He glances between the two of them and almost loses his mind when he feels Hinata slip a hand to touch his thigh underneath the counter.

Osamu laughs. “Hey, I gotta make sure my brother’s new partner is all good and dandy.”

“‘All good and dandy?’” Hinata echoes back, laughing just as much, even as he keeps his hand on Atsumu’s thigh. “You interrogated me for hours before our first mission together.”

The way it _seems_ like Hinata is staking his claim on him is making Atsumu distressed, in the most inconvenient way possible, enough that he wants to scream in frustration, because the armlet is becoming warmer by the second but it’s programmed to not react to Hinata as it does to other targets. He can’t even focus on the conversation around him any more, honing his attention on the hand on his thigh without staring at it, and he almost jumps to grab his gun when he feels something touch his lips.

When he comes back to the present, he sees Hinata staring at him. He’s holding an untouched umeboshi up to his lips and Atsumu instantly opens his mouth for him. He takes a bite without thinking, without looking away, and distantly, he can hear his brother groan before he disappears from behind the bar.

There’s a sparkle in Hinata’s eyes and Atsumu is transfixed. “Good?” he asks, pulling away enough for him to chew comfortably.

“My brother’s food is always good,” Atsumu quietly responds back, staring as the sparkle intensifies, as he feels the heat in his arm travel up to his cheeks to settle in. “Is it good for ya? It has to be good for ya. Is—” He flushes when Hinata holds the food up to his lips again, obediently taking another bite out of it.

“It’s good,” Hinata confirms with a bright smile. “Every single thing I’ve tried from here is so good. It’s insane! I don’t know how your brother does it!”

“I don’t know either,” Atsumu says with a shrug, instinctively opening his mouth when Hinata holds the food up once more. “He loves doin’ it though. I can’t complain.”

Hinata laughs, “Me either.”

Suddenly, the warmth on his thigh disappears. Atsumu doesn’t need to look down to know Hinata’s pulled his hand back but he does anyways. It feels like there’s a residual simmer, pooling underneath his skin, and he glances over right when Hinata finishes off the umeboshi he’s been feeding him. He licks his fingertips afterwards and Atsumu really does flush. He can feel red gathering at his cheeks and he can’t believe his eyes when Hinata glances at him again, out of the corner of his eyes, and actually _winks_.

Atsumu’s breath stutters in his chest. “Yer gonna kill me,” he breathes with a laugh, looking up to the ceiling of the restaurant for salvation. “Yer assigned to me, to kill me.”

“I wouldn’t call this me killing you,” Hinata muses. When he chances a glance over to him again, Hinata’s on his next umeboshi. Jesus. What an appetite. “Consider this is me hungry, and you’re my next meal.”

Atsumu has no explanation for the way he actually, in all reality, falls out of his chair. His knee knocks into the edge of the bar counter while his elbow catches on the edge of the chair. It’s a very painful process but all he can register besides the pain is the way Hinata is now laughing like he’s told the best joke in history. In fact, Atsumu can _believe_ Hinata has told the best joke in history because that’s the only way he can salvage this entire situation with ninety percent of their coworkers coming over to ask if he’s okay. He can only trust one Ushijima Wakatoshi to help him off of the floor and he hides behind his taller figure _if only_ to avoid all eye contact with Hinata.

“Perhaps, you’ve had too much to drink, Miya-san. Would you like my assistance in bringing you home?”

 _God bless_ Ushijima because he’s actually and genuinely _kind_. “Yes, please,” Atsumu quietly answers. He shoots his brother a sheepish grin and he hopes everybody just comes to the conclusion that he’s had one too many glasses to drink, even though they all probably know he can definitely drink more than this.

Luckily, no one says anything while they take their leave and Ushijima doesn’t ask him about the incident.

By the next morning, Atsumu has a clearer head. He doesn’t feel anything close to a headache, but he wishes he did. It’d mean he could wear his specialized glasses, meant to heavily reduce eye strain, and pretend he can’t focus on anything else other than what’s on the screen in front of him. But as it stands, he doesn’t have one. Putting those glasses on will only make everything worse instead and he sighs as he drags the tip of his finger across the screen in front of him.

The documents he was supposed to fill out after every case are still not done. Neither are the ones for the previous cases before it. Actually, he’s pretty sure he hasn’t filled out the last three case documents, at least, because it’s long and annoying and has too many words on it. All anybody ever has to know was that they’ve been successful and Hinata is still with them. He immediately groans when he feels a hand land on his shoulder.

“At least fill out the earliest one,” his superior says. “There’s no sense in filling out the last one if you can’t complete the first one.”

“Shinsuke,” Atsumu whines, looking up to see his friend giving him a smile. “Doesn’t Hinata fill these out too? Do I still gotta do this?”

At that, Shinsuke actually laughs. “Of course he does. He follows protocol. _You_ , on the other hand,” he murmurs, reaching up to place a hand on his head. Atsumu doesn’t mention how he loves it when others put their hand on his head. “Ya gotta inform us that Hinata is still stable and capable of working in this field.”

“That’s ridiculous,” he murmurs without a second thought. “Hinata has been more than stable for the past month.”

“Yeah, but we don’t know that.”

Suddenly, a pop-up appears in the corner of his screen. It tells him to look at his phone and when he does, it’s an encrypted message only he knows how to unlock, and he looks up to his superior who only gives him an encouraging nod of the head. “Like that makes me feel any better,” Atsumu mutters, only to receive a pat on the shoulder this time.

“Hinata is scheduled to show up in thirty minutes. Please, brief him.”

Atsumu has no other choice but to accept when his superior simply walks away from him after that. He takes his time to decode the message and when he does, he sighs when he realizes it’s another case to sniff out a potential threat. The location is in a city that’s, at least, four hours away from here and he bangs his head on the desk when he realizes what that means.

“Ya hate me,” he whines, banging his head once more for good measure. He doesn’t care if anyone hears him or not. Everybody should know how much he’s been struggling with dealing with Hinata Shouyou as his partner. One day, he might actually kill him and Atsumu would probably, most likely, go down one-hundred percent willingly.

 _Multiple Science Experiments Gone Wrong_.

Atsumu remembers when his parents and grandparents talked about this event like it was a national holiday. Every year, they would bring it up one way or another and he and Osamu would just look at each other because they had no idea what it meant. But then they got older, the event was talked in history books, and before they knew it, they were signing up to work with the government in capturing any stray experiments from so long ago.

The scientists had all been fired, but it didn’t mean they stopped experimenting. All they seem to want were humans who could be manipulated—their DNA messed and wrecked with to produce humans who are stronger, better, able to withstand the ages of time. They wanted humans they could use for future wars, to create something of myths and legends, but then it screwed up the world for the rest of them.

Most of their experiments had failed. Some had survived with little to no results, but the few who did survive and showed a difference, those were the ones to watch out for. They were the ones who ended up causing trouble for society, with IQs higher than the average human being and the ability to sweet talk their way into and out of any situation if it calls for it. Then again, that’d make sense why Hinata seems to draw everybody in by simply walking into a room. He looks like a god among humans and Atsumu tries not to freeze when he feels the armlet start to warm the slightest bit. He doesn’t even lift his head from his desk, knowing Hinata is going to simply come over and talk to him about who knows what, and he wonders for the nth time if that’s the reason why Hinata got recruited—because he’s one of those experiments and he can sniff out his own within a few good hours.

“Hey, ‘Tsumu.”

Speak of the devil.

“Hey, Hinata,” he breathes against his desk, grimacing when all that does is fog up the glass. He lets his head fall to the side so he can glance up and see Hinata in his casual suit. His tie is perfectly in place but his hair still looks fluffy, like it’s all over the place. Atsumu really wants to ruffle it. “How are ya this morning?”

Suddenly, a white paper bag is shoved in his face. It smells faintly of glazed donuts and that’s enough incentive for Atsumu to lift his head and peer inside the bag. Six donuts are lined neatly inside it and he doesn’t hesitate reaching in to grab one for his breakfast.

“I’m good,” Hinata answers, grabbing his own donut after. “Kita-san told me we have another case.”

Atsumu hums. These donuts are the best ones around here. “We do,” he murmurs. “In Tokyo.” He grabs for his phone before placing it on the table and unlocking it. He taps the screen a few more times before the images and documents on the screen pop up and become a holograph in front of them. He licks some glaze off of his lips before he continues. “There’s another sighting of what might be a Rogue Experiment,” he quietly informs, grabbing another donut. “Female. Thirty years old. Been seen wandering the clubs and gathering specifically known dangerous people. All been arrested at least twice for petty things, but we all know how they can escalate.”

Hinata hums, “Sure do.” He sifts through all the information on his phone, swiping through all the images, and Atsumu takes his chance to stare at him up close while he’s concentrating on something else. “This looks like it’s going to take a while to complete.”

“Probably will,” Atsumu murmurs. Hinata’s eyelashes are actually really pretty. “I’m guessin’ they want us to travel and stay there for a few days.” He stops breathing the moment Hinata lifts his gaze over to him. “Gotta ask,” he whispers. “Shin.”

There’s a moment where he searches Hinata’s eyes. He’s not entirely sure what he’s looking for, but the longer he stares, the more he can notice a subtle difference in his eyes. On the surface, they don’t really appear any different than anybody else’s. They’re a warm light brown, but he can see flecks of green and gold layered underneath it. The unusual colors pulsate in brightness every few minutes and he wonders if Hinata feels any different than a normal, typical human.

“Why are you staring at him?”

Atsumu flinches back so fast he almost falls off of his chair. Again. He whips his head around to see Sakusa staring at him and he smiles before he can help himself. “Omi-kun!” he greets. He’s not surprised nor offended when his coworker ignores him completely to stare at Hinata next to him instead.

“Despite being an experiment, you’re very stable for working with someone like him.” Sakusa doesn’t even spare him a glance, but that’s okay. That gives Atsumu the second he needs to glance over and see Hinata stifling a laugh right next to him. “Kita-san would like to speak with you if Miya-san is finished explaining your next case together.” Another glance towards him, and Atsumu _knows_ Sakusa is curling his lip at him in disgust, even under the mask. “Miya.”

Atsumu can’t even get a word in before Sakusa leaves. All he can see is his retreating back, where his gun harness is crossing against his back without his jacket on, and if he’s being objective about the entire thing, it makes Sakusa’s back look very nice. He almost startles when Hinata stands and obstructs his vision.

“I’ve had this talk with Kita-san so many times already,” comes the whine. Hinata stretches and Atsumu’s gaze falls down to the area where his buttoned-up shirt peeks open the slightest bit when his arms come back down. “I won’t run. I’m not crazy. Oh.” A hand breaches his field of vision and Atsumu looks up, only to feel Hinata’s warm hand holding his head in place while his other wipes something off of his lips. “Glaze,” is the explanation he gets and then Hinata is gone. He walks away yawning and whining some more about Shinsuke wanting even more from him, but Atsumu is pretty sure he stops functioning because—

What the hell.

Tokyo hasn’t changed much. The last time Atsumu visited was when he was a child but even then, he still remembers all the bright advertisements and neon lights. He remembers a large amount of people walking around day or night, not caring about what time it is, because it’s supposedly safer now than it was years ago. Atsumu wants to say it’s because the entire country has _them_ in place, the specific unit of the government that deals with the trickiest and most dangerous would-be criminals of all, but he doesn’t. He knows anybody can technically hunt these people down. It’s just that they won’t be able to until they make their move and destroy something that can be impossible to replace.

Even now, he chances a glance to Hinata beside him. They’ve been sitting in the car for a few minutes, Atsumu taking careful stock of the band on his arm to make sure it doesn’t suddenly spike in temperature, and stares as Hinata carefully looks around them. He almost looks like an animal waiting for its prey and Atsumu knows better than to rush him when he’s simply staking out their new environment to make sure there aren’t any threats near them. If Atsumu looks close enough, the subtle greens and golds of Hinata’s eyes remain glowing the entire time he’s searching around them.

“Hey, ‘Tsumu,” Hinata murmurs, catching his attention. He’s staring off in the direction of their hotel and Atsumu hums to let him know he’s listening. “I think it’s clear for now.”

Atsumu leans on the steering wheel to stare at their hotel across the street, grimacing at the flashy lit up sign above the front doors. “You ready to go in?”

“Is that armlet still good?”

“Yeah.” Atsumu can still feel its soothing warmth.

This time, Hinata nods. He closes his eyes, takes in a deep breath, then turns to give him a small smile. “Then I’m good.”

Atsumu bites back a smile before he pushes himself off the steering wheel. “I can protect myself, y’know,” he murmurs. He actually _does_ smile when Hinata laughs. “Ready to be my adventurous boyfriend makin’ his way through all the hot clubs?”

When Hinata makes the first move to get out of the car, Atsumu follows. He makes sure he sticks close to him, reaching out to carry half their bags while Hinata does the same, and then makes sure he locks the car after they shut the trunk. It’s the company’s and he really doesn’t want to pay for it if it gets stolen while on a case.

Though, Hinata doesn’t say anything as they make their way to the hotel. He mostly stays quiet, humming along to some tune in his head, and Atsumu can only guess it’s to keep an eye out for anyone who seems suspicious walking the streets. It’s barely evening, but they can’t be too sure.

“Reservations for Miya, please,” Hinata says the moment they get to the front desk. The interior of the hotel is actually pretty nice compared to its outer counterpart and Atsumu forces that to distract him instead of the fact Hinata is now grabbing their keys for their room on the fifth floor where they have a good view of the front streets. “Thank you.”

Atsumu holds the card keys between his teeth before they make it to the elevator. He can’t really speak while making sure the keys don’t fall, but the waiting music is enough to make up the silence between them. It also helps that Hinata glances up at him once before they arrive to their floor and they’re making their way to their room. Atsumu’s barely lowered the keys from his mouth before Hinata just holds a hand in front of the lock and the door opens without any resistance.

Before they even speak a word to each other, Atsumu makes sure the door is secured while Hinata glances about the room. He makes sure that there are no hidden cameras or wires and Atsumu can’t help but stare as his partner does his routine. He still doesn’t know how Hinata’s able to pick out anything technology-related anywhere, but he guesses that’s a development from being experimented on as a toddler.

When Hinata heaves a deep sigh, Atsumu knows it’s clear. It gives him the moment to look around the room himself and he hums when he sees there are two full beds, floor to ceiling glass windows with a sliding door to the balcony, and a decent bathroom. The flat screen is already turned on to the weather channel and he sighs when he sees Hinata already unpacking his own suitcase. But, from his point of view, Hinata looks tired.

“Hey,” he calls, staring, as Hinata lifts his gaze up to him after grabbing a set of clothes. There aren’t dark circles under his eyes, but there’s something off about the way his irises look. “Are ya tired?” With a quick glance to his watch, he clicks his tongue. “It’s too close to dinner. Wanna grab a bite to eat before coming back and taking a nap? A couple of the clubs around here are open until five anyways.”

Hinata lets out a low hum before slowly closing his eyes. He simply stands there and Atsumu’s concerned until he opens his mouth. “I’m a little tired,” his partner confesses. When he opens his eyes again, they look normal but he doesn’t say anything else. He simply stands there and Atsumu is confused.

“Hinata?” he calls out, watching as the other releases another deep sigh. He doesn’t look bad per se, but something in Atsumu lurches the moment Hinata glances at him again. He rushes over before his partner can even think of collapsing to the floor. “Hinata.”

The way Hinata gives him the freedom to move him is disconcerting. “Mm?”

By the time Atsumu has Hinata sitting on the edge of the bed closest to the bathroom, his eyes are closed again. He leans against him for support and Atsumu has no idea what’s happening right now. He glances down at him briefly before looking at the television where it’s detailing some of the latest news in the city.

“Sometimes,” Hinata suddenly says. It startles him, but he’s happy to hear Hinata’s faint laugh at it. “Activating any type of ability I have wears me out.” Sitting this close, the warmth in Atsumu’s armlet heats his whole body. “I’ve never told you about it, huh. About what I can or can’t do.”

At that, Atsumu shakes his head. “Nope.” He resists the urge to push his face into Hinata’s hair. Is that weird?

“Well,” Hinata breathes. He pulls away enough to fall back onto the bed and Atsumu lets him, amused by the simple act as Hinata keeps his eyes closed. “I never showed any signs of success or failure,” he starts off. “So, everyone assumed none of the experiments worked on me. I don’t remember ever going through them either. But when I turned ten, I was suddenly able to bypass simple machines with simple codes in them, like vending machines—”

Atsumu snorts. “Vending machines?”

“I was always really hungry!”

“And that’s no different now?” Atsumu laughs when Hinata finally opens his eyes to shove his arm.

“It didn’t happen all the time, but a couple years later, I figured out when I could control it. I was figuring out that I could sense random electrical devices anywhere I went. I could sniff out hidden cameras in bathrooms and in random stores.”

“And yer eyes?” Atsumu blurts out before he can stop himself. His breath hitches when Hinata glances down at him again. “They’re… different.”

This time, Hinata smiles, bright and happy. He even points to his own eyes. “You noticed?”

Atsumu laughs. “How can I not when ya stare at me like that all the time?”

Hinata shrugs. “Not very many people notice.”

Well, Atsumu would like to say they’ve had one too many instances where they’ve locked gazes with each other and he’s definitely noticed, but he doesn’t bring it up. Instead, he watches the way Hinata relaxes back into the mattress to stare at the ceiling. It’s comforting to see. “How ‘bout sniffing out other people like ya,” he asks, feeling movement by his feet and realizing Hinata’s kicking his legs out in random, lazy beats.

“Oh, that came when I entered university,” the other answers easily. “I wasn’t the best student because I kept getting distracted with people who kept coming in and out of campus whenever I studied outside. There’s more of us than you think, but I don’t know if it’s because those scientists are still experimenting somewhere or the older ones who they tested on had kids and passed the weird thing on to them.”

That’s an answer Atsumu wasn’t expecting, but it’s good insight. “So, does everyone have this kinda ability like ya?”

“Nope.”

Atsumu flops back onto the bed. He stares up at the ceiling like his partner and now he doesn’t know what to do.

“But those who’ve developed their abilities and kept practicing it, they could be exactly like me or even stronger.”

Slowly, the armlet warms even more. It heats up to the point that it starts to sting and Atsumu winces at it before looking over to Hinata. His partner is still staring up at the ceiling, but his eyes are wide and his irises look golden, even from here.

“Isn’t it kinda awesome to think about? Someone out there could know what I am, have my exact abilities, and they can _fight_ with it. Weren’t there rumors that some of the previous experiments you caught developed some sort of supernatural ability?”

The heat is becoming unbearable. It’s searing itself into his left arm and Atsumu almost hisses at it. He’s only felt this intensity a few times in the past while working with Shinsuke _and_ Osamu, but this is the first time he’s experiencing it up close with the person working as his partner.

“But science and fantasy are pretty different,” Hinata suddenly says. It’s enough for the heat to stick, to pause at the temperature it’s at, and then it de-escalates. “It’d be cool if I can create gusts of wind out of nothing, or even fire from my palms. But, oh well.”

The armlet slowly cools the longer they lay there. It returns to its normal temperature where it’s simply Hinata being close to him and it lulls Atsumu into a sense of relaxation. He glances to the television to see the time and he sighs when he sees it’s ticking closer to seven at night. “We should probably—”

“Oh! I never even told you how activating and using my abilities tire me out quicker than usual!” Hinata suddenly blurts. It’s loud enough that Atsumu yelps in surprise and then his friend is giving him a sheepish grin. “Sorry. That’s why I was so tired earlier. I can sense it when another experiment is near us but to actively search and locate one takes more from me. It’s probably why I eat so much.”

Atsumu shoves at Hinata out of instinct, but all it does is make his friend laugh. “I thought yer gonna collapse on me earlier.” He smiles when Hinata pushes back.

“It’d take a lot more to get me to fall out like that.”

“Really,” he muses, glancing over to see Hinata still smiling. He’s staring up at the ceiling again and Atsumu can spend the whole night like this if he could. “So, this means yer up for food? Let’s get somethin’ before we officially start the mission.”

Hinata scoffs. “Didn’t we officially start when we entered the city limits?”

“Nope,” Atsumu chirps. He shoves at Hinata again and laughs when he gets pushed back. “C’mon. Let’s go.”

A quick meal turns into a quick stroll around their hotel. Hinata keeps looking ahead, but Atsumu can see the way he keeps flicking his gaze everywhere around them. It makes sense to be cautious but with the way he keeps acting, Atsumu’s concerned they’ll be given away. Hinata isn’t even speaking much like he was at dinner earlier.

“Can I put my arm around ya?” Atsumu quietly asks, watching as Hinata whips his head to look up at him with wide eyes. “Ya need to relax.”

“And letting you put your arm around me is gonna do that?”

Atsumu shrugs, “Is it gonna make ya more worked up?” He knows that’s a dumb question to ask, especially with how Hinata acts with him, but he’s more than surprised to see the other debating on whether he should allow him to put an arm around him or not. It shouldn’t be that big of a deal since Atsumu’s been seen doing that with practically everyone else _but_ Sakusa, but then Hinata surprises him again when he huffs and takes half a step closer to him anyways. Atsumu automatically lifts an arm to drape over his shoulders.

“Not exactly worked up,” Hinata mutters. When Atsumu glances down at him, he’s shocked to see his cheeks are pink. “But you’re distracting enough that I won’t look around as much anymore.”

Really, there aren’t any words to describe what’s floating through Atsumu at this moment. He feels like he’s suspended in space, staring down at Hinata like he’s just solved some insane math equation, and he feels his lungs freeze when Hinata looks up at him confused. A hand gently touches his own hanging around Hinata’s shoulders and Atsumu glances up long enough to see Hinata gently holding onto his fingers to keep it in place.

“Don’t even offer if you can’t handle it,” Hinata says. A small smile blooms on his lips and Atsumu can’t help looking away and smashing his free hand onto his face. “You’re so cute, ‘Tsumu.”

Atsumu refuses to acknowledge he screams into his palm before he takes in a deep breath and re-collects himself. “I can handle everything perfectly,” he announces, removing his hand to stare ahead of them. He’s _determined_. “This is nothin’.” There’s a tug on his other hand and he _refuses_ to look over at Hinata again.

“Really? This is fine?”

Before Atsumu can even ask _what_ is fine, there are soft lips on his cheek. They’re so soft, they feel like they barely touch his skin, but he knows they did because Hinata used his arm as leverage to reach up for him— He chokes on thin air by the time Hinata’s back on his feet and smiling up at him like he’s won something great.

“You didn’t fall out like last time,” Hinata murmurs. “Perfect.”

“How—?!” Atsumu almost screeches, before he remembers where they are. They’re coming up close to their hotel and he tries to will his racing heart to slow down by the time they make it to the entrance. He breathes in deep, before stopping Hinata right outside the doors.

The neon lights flash all over Hinata’s face when he looks up at him. He looks adorably confused, but he’s still hanging onto his hand. If he leaned down, he’s sure Hinata would lean up.

“—boyfriends?”

Oh, suddenly Hinata’s lips are moving.

“What?” Atsumu sputters, blinking, to make sure his ears are working, which doesn’t make sense at all. “Ya wanna be boyfriends?”

Hinata laughs. “We came here for the week,” he answers. “It’s time we made it official, right?”

Suddenly, everything comes rushing back. The warmth in his left arm is increasing in temperature and Hinata’s eyes are still sparkling, but he can see the flecks of green and gold pulsating just that bit brighter. He scoffs before pulling Hinata in close to kiss his temple. “Let’s get changed and go to the bar down the street.”

Within minutes, he’s guiding Hinata back into the hotel. The heat in his arm is decreasing the further they make their way inside, but they only separate when they’re in the elevator going up to their floor. They don’t say a word, but Hinata is on his phone scrolling through local specialties for desserts. Atsumu has to physically take his card key out to unlock their door instead of Hinata opening it for them like usual.

Once they’re safely inside, Atsumu breathes in a sigh of relief. His armlet’s warmth is back to its normal temperature and he chances a glance over his shoulder to see how Hinata’s doing. He isn’t really doing anything but standing in the center of their room and Atsumu doesn’t really know what to do but walk over to him. He lifts a hand to guide Hinata’s head to face him and he isn’t shocked to see that the green flecks have slowly started to take over his irises this time. Except, his armlet isn’t reacting to it.

“Sorry, ‘Tsumu,” Hinata murmurs. His focus is going in and out and Atsumu tries to keep him with him. “I can control it. It’s just— That person is near here.”

“I know.” Atsumu can see the way Hinata searches until his gaze locks on his, eyes a strange green. “Ya gonna be good tonight?”

Hinata nods before he breathes through the question. It’s enough for Atsumu to let his hand fall from his face and then he’s closing his eyes. He breathes deeply. “Yeah,” he murmurs, opening his eyes again a minute later. The green is slowly fading and the visible tension in his shoulders seeps away. “Yeah.”

This has happened before, during their past two cases, and Atsumu can’t help eyeing his partner to make sure he’s really okay. But now that he knows what he’s looking for, he can start to figure out when Hinata’s limits start hitting those walls until he possibly collapses. He stays still, waiting, until his partner’s eyes return to normal and when they do, Atsumu gives him a small smile. “Ya good?”

Another deep breath. “You didn’t have to wait,” Hinata mumbles, but he grins back up at him anyways. “I’m good! I’m always good.”

At that, Atsumu snorts. “I bet.” He reaches for his gun in its holster underneath the back of his shirt, checking it briefly to ensure the specialized bullets are still there, before he unhooks his holster too. The gun doesn’t activate if it doesn’t read his prints and isn’t near a Rogue Experiment, and he places them both on his bed as he walks over to grab a new set of clothes. “You always seem like it.”

“Mhm!”

“Not gonna get tired?” Atsumu frowns down at his suitcase before digging to the bottom to find the pair of pants he wants to wear with the shirt in his lap. He grabs both before grabbing his bathroom things, but before he can stand and make his way to there first, he hears the door shut. He whirls around, eyeing the room, noticing Hinata’s own gun, dagger, and holster on his own bed, and gapes when he hears Hinata’s muffled laughter. “Shou!” he shouts, quickly walking to the bathroom to bang on the door, just because. “Hey!”

“Hi, ‘Tsumu,” Hinata chirps from the other side. “Shou-kun is busy at the moment, _undressing_. Please leave a message or come join me.”

Atsumu almost bangs his head on the door. “Nevermind,” he calls back weakly, quickly walking away to finally sit on his own bed. “I’ll wait.” He can hear Hinata’s laughter even as he turns on the shower.

This is it.

Atsumu’s gonna die.

He’s gonna die a slow, painful death and there’s nothing he can do to stop it. He knew it’d be by the hands of one of those experiments but by the hands of _Hinata Shouyou?_ He can only wish. He groans as he flops back onto his bed, stuffing his clothes in his face, because he really _shouldn’t_. He thought he had a thing with Shinsuke, but that ended up badly, so he stuck with his brother to prevent anything like _that_ happening again. Now, he’s here. On his side. Pressing his clothes into his face, because maybe he can suffocate himself before he can fall head over heels for the man taking a shower in the bathroom and— He bolts upright when he realizes he can’t hear the water rushing from the shower anymore. When he looks around though, he doesn’t see Hinata yet and he breathes a sigh of relief.

He doesn’t even know how they’re going to survive the night. They both agreed to sleep most of the morning away but then they met up at his apartment for lunch and to go over any last minute plans for this mission. They took his car to make the drive to Tokyo. They got here. They barely rested before eating, and now they have to go hunting for a Rogue they aren’t even sure what she looks like. Out of all the information presented to him, Atsumu hadn’t seen any clear photo of the woman supposedly constructing something huge in this part of the city.

“This is gonna get dangerous,” he murmurs to no one in particular, staring at the television screen while it shows some kind of drama. He sighs as he places his clothes next to him on the bed before leaning forward with his elbows on his knees to put his face in his hands. Even if they don’t go to all the clubs in the area, there’s still a high chance Hinata could be further scanned to ensure he’s stable, especially with the high-end places. With the technology they have now, it could probably sense that he’s an experiment from that time years ago. It’ll be easy to bring in some guns and knives, but something like an experiment?

Suddenly, a hand touches his shoulder. It jolts him out of his thoughts and he looks up alarmed to see Hinata already dressed like he’s going to be a full course meal, which, in Atsumu’s book is concerning because all Hinata is wearing is a loose muscle tank and some casual shorts. He looks nothing like he’s going to a club and Atsumu is offended. “Is that what yer wearing?” he asks, looking back up to see Hinata staring down at him confused.

“Yes?”

“Do ya not,” Atsumu starts before he stops himself. He should know by now that Hinata doesn’t really have any type of fashion sense. He noticed that during the third and fourth case they had together. “Nevermind,” he says again, getting up and grabbing his clothes so he can shower. If the clothes aren’t a suit, Hinata doesn’t really know how to dress for the occasion. “I’ll be out in a minute.”

There’s no response, but Hinata starts humming before he shuts the door behind himself. It gives him another moment to breathe, to figure out how tonight could possibly go, and then gets lost in his shower routine.

The first club was a let down. They breezed through the entrance with no problems, stayed for three hours, and left before they could nurse down a fourth drink. The second club was a little better. They met some new people and actually danced on the main floor because the songs were way better than the last place. Atsumu’s never felt his armlet go beyond its normal warmth and Hinata hadn’t acted out of the ordinary. If he did, it was only in the way he acted around Atsumu but, even then, that was, admittedly, normal.

Atsumu thinks it’s so normal, he expects Hinata to come up to him at the bar and wrap arms around his waist from behind. He pushes his cheek into the back of his shoulder and Atsumu can’t help but laugh when he feels the other mumble something against him, but he can’t hear it above the music ringing in their ears. He’s pretty sure he’s still smiling even as he turns in Hinata’s arms, drink loosely held in his hand as he wraps his arms around his shoulders. “What did you say?” he asks loudly, the shock of Hinata kissing him on the lips fading away with each one they share for the night.

“Should we head back?” Hinata repeats. There’s a red flush to his cheeks from the alcohol he’s consumed, but his eyes are still startling lucid. The green flashes bright in them, but they could easily blame that for the neon lights inside the club itself. “Let’s head back.”

“Are you sure?” He places his drink on the counter behind him, giving him freedom to wrap Hinata in his arms completely. He feels so warm against him. He can barely feel the armlet secured underneath his shirt. “You okay?” He smiles when Hinata nods before he leans down to reach his ear. “Nothin’?” he whispers, relishing in the full-bodied shudder Hinata releases at it.

“Nope,” Hinata breathes back. “But I’m getting tired.”

Atsumu hums before he pulls back, instinctively kissing his temple and then his lips. “Let’s head back then.” Except he can’t really move. Hinata pins him to his spot and he looks back down at him confused. “Shou?”

Hinata breathes in deep before sighing it out. “Give me a sec’.”

So, Atsumu does. He holds him while he looks around the club. Holographs pop out from the ceilings to create decorations and lights. Masses of bodies move together on the dance floor, sweat and energy bouncing off of each other. There are even a few prototype androids milling about between all the human waiters and waitresses and Atsumu thinks that’s where he’s impressed with this place. It’s not one of the more high-end bars, but it must have some type of good revenue to be able to afford those things in the first place. He hums when he feels Hinata move against him and then soft lips at his neck.

“Shou?” he says, twining his fingers together at his back.

“Wait,” Hinata whispers. It’s barely heard over the music, but he can feel it, especially when Hinata trails his lips up his neck and to his ear. “I think there’s one outside.”

When Atsumu pulls back enough, he can see the way the green flecks are slowly taking over Hinata’s irises. “Don’t overdo it,” he murmurs back, before he guides Hinata off of him. “Let’s go back.” Hinata nods and Atsumu reaches down to grab his hand to lead him out of the club.

Outside, the air is cooler. It gives them room to think and Atsumu tries to focus his attention to the armlet on him. He can’t feel it warming up more than usual, so he glances to Hinata to see what he’s sensing.

His partner is looking around them carefully, staring at empty spaces and the few people walking on the streets, but none of them jump out to him because he doesn’t make a single move until he’s looking in the direction away from the hotel. “I may be wrong,” he announces, “but I can’t tell. It’s probably not her. She would have a stronger pulse.”

Atsumu stares at his partner a bit longer before he sighs. “That’s fine then,” he says. “We’re here to get her, so the others don’t matter unless they act up.” He waits for Hinata to look back at him before he tugs at his hand. “C’mon. We should probably go sleep this all off.”

Hinata nods as he follows after him. He drags behind by a foot, but Atsumu has no problem leading him forward.

It takes a bit longer to get back to the hotel, but when they’re safe and secured in their room, they barely have enough energy to use the bathroom and brush their teeth. Within seconds of falling into their own beds, they knock out.

When Atsumu wakes up, the sun is shining through the windows. The rays warm his face and he groans as he tries to twist in bed. He hadn’t even made it under his covers before knocking out and it feels like he didn’t even move in his sleep. He huffs a puff of air before he finally opens his eyes and sees Hinata’s bed empty next to him. That should alarm him more than it initially does.

But when he turns back over onto his other side to look out the windows, he sees Hinata standing on the balcony while leaning on the railway. He’s still wearing the outfit he wore the night before but from this view, Atsumu can see the muscles that sit on his arms. Even his calves look well-toned, and Atsumu sighs. His partner is deceivingly strong and that works for him in so many ways.

He doesn’t even know how long they stay like that. He keeps staring at Hinata’s back while he looks to the streets below them. The only time Atsumu moves is to sit up and remove his shirt so he can loosen the band still sitting snug on his arm. He stares down at it as he places his fingertips on it, waiting for the device to read his prints, before it unfastens and he can tug it off of him. It feels weird without it on, but now he can massage his arm like he’s been wanting to do for the past day and a half. He can barely feel the scars there from that Rogue Experiment going crazy months ago.

A faint shuffling noise pulls his attention back to the balcony. Hinata is standing there holding his hand up to the pad on the metal frame and he watches as the sliding door opens for him without any problems. “Y’know,” Hinata says as he enters, the door sliding shut behind him once he’s entered the room. “It’s really handy not having to carry that card key around everywhere.”

Atsumu snorts. “I bet. Sometimes, I still forget to bring one around with me.”

“That can get you into some pretty awkward situations,” Hinata muses. He crosses him to get to his suitcase and Atsumu simply watches him. He’s too tired to contribute anything more, but he’s also getting too hungry to sit still. “Did you want to shower first or do you want me to?”

“I wanna get breakfast,” Atsumu confesses, sighing as he falls onto his back again with arms spread out. “I’m so hungry.”

Hinata laughs, “Same here. Let’s find some food when we go out.”

“Didja even have anything else planned?” Atsumu laughs when Hinata throws a pair of rolled up socks at him. “I’m surprised you didn’t go get food for yourself first.”

“I have some manners,” Hinata says with a huff. Atsumu raises an eyebrow when he suddenly leans over him to stare at him. “Plus, I’m not exactly sure what you want. Have we eaten breakfast together before?”

At that, Atsumu looks off to the side as he thinks. “I can’t really remember,” he murmurs, glancing back to him. “Pretty sure we usually have something that’s not typically breakfast if we eat together in the mornings.”

“That’s what I thought.”

Atsumu expects him to move away again when he flashes him a smile but instead, he hovers over him. He’s searching his face, but he doesn’t know what for. He’s not really hiding anything, or thinking anything for that matter. He’s too tired and hungry to feel anything _but_ tired and hungry. Though, he does give Hinata a lazy smile. “What?”

There are a few seconds where Hinata just stares at him, _really_ stares at him, and Atsumu wonders briefly what he’s going to do. “Nothin’ really,” he murmurs, but then he leans down slowly and kisses his forehead. Atsumu’s too tired and hungry to even really feel shocked about it.

“Doesn’t seem like nothin’,” he mumbles in response, still grinning up at him. “Ya good?”

“Y’know,” Hinata says, pulling back with a quiet laugh. His gaze is soft when he looks down at him and Atsumu feels warm, even without the armlet on. “You keep asking if I’m good and one day, I probably won’t be.”

Atsumu doesn’t know how to interpret that, but he reaches out anyways to drag fingertips down Hinata’s arm. He doesn’t stop until he finds purchase on his fingers and he holds on. “Maybe I wanna see what yer like when yer not,” he confesses, grinning wider when Hinata lets out a disbelieving laugh.

“I’m gonna shower, then you’re gonna shower. Then we’re gonna go eat breakfast, so maybe you can sober up some more.”

“I’m as sober as I can get when I’m this tired and hungry,” Atsumu calls back before Hinata can retreat into the bathroom completely and shut himself away. His words earn him another burst of laughter and he can’t stop his own soft laugh as he turns back on his side to face the windows. He listens for the rush of water before he closes his eyes again, letting it lull him back to sleep within seconds.

A hand is shaking him. It’s rocking his world and Atsumu groans as he flips onto his back with some more so-called helpful prodding. He’s normally not this groggy after a night out, but maybe age is finally catching up to him. It also doesn’t help that he feels soft lips on his forehead again and a cool hand lightly touching his cheek.

“C’mon, ‘Tsumu,” Hinata calls out, because who else acts this affectionately with him. “Get up. I’m hungry.”

It’s so hard to resist pulling Hinata down with him, so he doesn’t. Atsumu reaches out with both arms to feel for Hinata’s body. He hears surprised laughter when he finds purchase on a shirt and then a yelp when he pulls hard enough for Hinata to fall on top of him. He doesn’t want to open his eyes yet but, well, he’s already going to hell anyways. He flips them so he can push his face into Hinata’s neck. “‘m so tired,” he murmurs into the warm skin, feeling Hinata shiver under him. “Don’t wanna get up.” He smiles when he hears and feels Hinata’s laugh against him.

“Well, you stink, so you should shower.”

“I should take offense to that,” Atsumu murmurs, but opening his eyes means this whole situation is real. They really have no reason to be this close, at all, except when they’re outside. “But ‘m not, ‘cause I’m a nice person.” He feels more than hears Hinata hum, amused, underneath him. “Experiment.”

Hinata snorts. “Are you calling this an experiment or are you calling me out?”

Atsumu isn’t sure, but he could really fall back asleep like this. Before he can make up his mind, his mouth starts doing its own thing. “Encountered three Rogues in the past,” he mutters, flinching when he feels Hinata touch his arm where his armlet usually is. “The last one caused the scars there.” He huffs a laugh then, nosing up to Hinata’s hairline and breathe in his fresh scent. “You were right,” he murmurs. “Some do develop some type of strange, supernatural ability.”

“Really?”

“Mhm, that one caused electrical surges and power outages.” Atsumu sighs, remembering the searing pain. “Couldn’t use my left arm for a week.”

“And you’re telling me this,” Hinata slowly says, but his other hand is reaching up to card fingers through his hair and this is becoming increasingly dangerous. It’s relaxing. “Why?”

Atsumu huffs, “Doubt they gave you any type of file on me.” He smiles when Hinata hums, suddenly remembering what all his partner can actually do with technology. “Didja break into the system for my file?”

This time, Hinata laughs, but it’s soft and soothing. “Got assigned the hot agent. Of course I broke into the system.”

“Dangerous,” he mumbles. “Researched ya, too.”

“Figured.”

“Dangerous,” Atsumu repeats.

“Well aware.”

Atsumu hums before falling silent again. He may be hungry but sleeping is an effective way to not feel it anymore. He’s pretty sure he even dozes off again. It’s easy to lose himself in the feeling of Hinata all around him, that it’s actually jarring when he’s suddenly turned onto his side and Hinata pulls away even the littlest bit from him. When he opens his eyes, it’s to see Hinata’s own glowing green. “Shouyou,” he murmurs, before he regains some sense of… sense, and feels the bed next to him for his armlet. It’s warm when his fingers touch the outer surface but when he grabs at it, it’s hotter underneath where it would’ve been touching his skin.

“She’s walking away,” Hinata suddenly murmurs. He jumps off the bed to head straight for the balcony and Atsumu doesn’t hesitate snapping on the armlet before grabbing his gun and following him out.

Hinata looks close to jumping off the balcony to follow after her, but Atsumu stills the moment he looks in the same direction and sees the woman staring back up at them. She’s smiling, like she’s found her own next target, and then she waves before she takes her time walking down the street. Atsumu can’t shoot her in a place like this, not when there are so many people between them, and he curses as he grabs Hinata’s hand to open the doors to head back inside. His partner goes with him willingly and Atsumu isn’t sure why until Hinata pulls his hand away and the green is fading from his eyes. He smiles like he’s caught the grand prize.

“I can track her within a three kilometer radius,” he explains, the green staying prominent instead of the gold in his eyes. “We can take our time.”

That catches Atsumu off-guard. Nowhere in Hinata’s file did it say he can do a thing like that. The shock must even show on his face because Hinata is now laughing and looking exceptionally pleased with himself.

“I can only do it when I lock eyes with another Experiment and register their frequency in my head. Each one is different, but it’s possible.”

Atsumu hasn’t even had time to drop his gun to the bed or remove his armlet so he can shower before Hinata is pushing into his personal space again. This time, this whole situation is realer than he can imagine and he tries to swallow the lump in his throat when he realizes, ‘oh _shit_ , I really like this guy.’ He stares at Hinata with wide eyes when he looks up at him, looking like he’s quietly asking for something that Atsumu can give him. They’re not even touching but if he breathes in deep, they will be.

“Go shower.”

“Wait, what,” Atsumu blurts out, watching as Hinata wrinkles his nose at him. “I don’t stink!”

Hinata laughs as he pulls back. “Not really,” he muses, “but then I can relax and keep a watch out here while imagining you in the shower and—”

“Shouyou!” Atsumu hisses, earning bright laughter from his partner. He knows his cheeks are as red as a tomato right now, but he definitely can’t help it this time. He lifts a hand to undo the armlet and throw it on the bed before rummaging for clothes in his suitcase. He doesn’t even glance in Hinata’s direction as he goes to the bathroom to shut himself in there and give him a moment to breathe.

He takes his time. He ignores the growling of his stomach as he puts his clothes on after and rubs his towel on his head. He leaves it hanging there as he brushes his teeth, staring at his reflection in the mirror, before reaching out to the side of it to pull up the weather and any events going on in the city for the day. There isn’t much going on and then he’s done.

When he walks back into the main room, it’s to see Hinata lying on his own bed watching something on his phone. He barely pays any attention to him, but that’s fine with Atsumu. It gives his brain a break as he dumps his laundry on top of his suitcase and runs fingers through his hair.

“Breakfast time,” Hinata suddenly sings.

It makes Atsumu chuckle, feeling his stomach growl again at the simple thought of food. “Yeah,” he agrees, walking over to see he accidentally threw his armlet on Hinata’s bed instead of his. He grabs it quickly. “Sorry,” he says, glancing over to see Hinata shrug.

“Didn’t touch it, so I’m good.”

Atsumu hums as he lifts his shirt sleeve to put it back on. He doesn’t forget that Hinata can’t actually touch the thing or it’ll burn him, but sometimes he forgets where he throws it when he finally has a chance to take it off. One more glance over and Atsumu stifles a smile when he sees Hinata discretely peeking at him from behind his cell phone.

“You done yet?” Hinata asks and Atsumu’s not sure, but he thinks he’s not even looking at his face. “I’m starving.”

With a laugh, Atsumu grabs his wallet and card key, Hinata instantly hopping off of his bed to follow suit. “I feel like this bill is gonna be massive.” Hinata doesn’t even argue with that statement as he hums happily.

“At least it’ll be on the company card.”

They hit the high-end clubs this time. More realistic androids are walking around servicing the guests and Atsumu waits by the door as Hinata gets screened a second time since he failed the first upon entering. It isn’t a big deal until Hinata comes up to him huffing because, “I actually had to show them my badge to allow entrance into this place. How is she going to get in if I couldn’t without that?!”

Atsumu stifles a laugh at that. An upset Hinata is actually pretty adorable and he smiles as he loops an arm around Hinata’s waist to lead him further into the club. This time, they’re wearing casual suits and Atsumu doesn’t hesitate going up to the bar to get a set of drinks. He isn’t even surprised to see an android come up to them with snacks on a tray. He grabs a couple while Hinata grabs a few more and he hums as he eats one before their drinks come out.

“This is actually pretty good,” he murmurs, glancing over to Hinata to see him nod in agreement. “Anything?”

While Hinata munches on the snacks, he leans back against the bar and glances around the place while the green slowly takes over his eyes. He doesn’t move or do anything else out of the ordinary, but he does still when he sees something in the distance. “No, but they look suspicious.”

That’s enough for Atsumu to look over his shoulder. He sees a few people dancing on the main floor but beyond them, he sees a group of guys sitting in some low chairs, laughing and talking to each other. He wouldn’t think it’s anything out of the ordinary, but Atsumu can recognize the gold glint in their eyes. “I think we hit the jackpot,” he murmurs, taking a sip of his drink before leaning over to wrap an arm around the front of Hinata’s waist. He hears Hinata hum before he kisses his temple and then Hinata is looking over and tilting his head up for a kiss. “They don’t look experienced, though. They don’t seem to be sensing you.”

“Nope,” Hinata breathes, pulling back to finally drink some of his martini. “I’ll keep putting out signals, though. She’ll probably come here sometime tonight.”

“You sound like some sort of alien or antenna or somethin’,” Atsumu says with a laugh. He doesn’t remove his arm, but Hinata doesn’t make any move to leave his side. “Do you wanna grab your thing?”

There’s a moment where Hinata downs the rest of his drink before asking for another one. He finishes all the snacks he grabbed and Atsumu watches him, amused with the whole scenario. His partner’s knife is hidden next to the gun at the small of his back, but he also knows if he touches the hilt directly, it’s going to drain Hinata’s energy if he doesn’t withdraw it against an experiment like him. Their weapons are advanced, including the bullets in his magazine, and Atsumu doesn’t blame him when he shakes his head for the negative.

“Then what do you want to do while we wait?”

Hinata hums, and Atsumu can feel it against his arm. “Grab that corner booth over there.”

With a quick search, Atsumu mimics his hum. He grabs his drink while Hinata does the same and he glances over at the group of men at the other side of the floor. They don’t pay them any special attention and he almost chokes on his drink when he sits to face out the club, because Hinata has made it his executive decision to sit on his lap sideways where there’s clearly still three-fourths of a booth left.

“Scoot over closer to the wall,” Hinata directs him. And, well, Atsumu follows them. He scoots over until Hinata can cross his legs on top of the rest of the seat and lean back against the wall. “Better.”

“Aren’t you mighty comfortable,” Atsumu drawls, but he can’t say he isn’t pleased.

“I am!”

Atsumu rolls his eyes before taking another sip of his drink. He keeps his eyes on the rest of the establishment while Hinata goes back to his phone and he sighs as he orders them a couple more drinks and snacks when the androids make their way around. He doesn’t know how long they stay there, but he does notice Hinata glancing up every once in a while when a new group of people enter the place. His eyes remain green and the armlet barely changes the longer they stay there.

Then, slowly, one of the men from before stands and stretches. He looks around at the dance floor and the bar, before walking to the back hallways where the bathroom and back offices are located. Atsumu keeps staring in that direction, waiting to see when he’ll return, and frowns when he sees another of his friends gets up to follow after him instead. This one glances at all the booths and Atsumu doesn’t think twice before leaning over and scooping down to find Hinata’s lips. He raises a hand to cradle the back of his head when Hinata gasps against him and guides him until he’s tilting his head back a bit more so they’re comfortable. He waits a few minutes before Hinata licks at the seam of his lips. He licks back, but then he pulls away before anything else happens. He looks over to see the second man disappearing into the back hallway.

The warmth in his armlet starts to heat up gradually and Atsumu quickly looks over to see Hinata blinking at him dazed. The green is still prominent, but then his gaze focuses the longer Atsumu stares at him. “That’s not fair,” Hinata whines, but he doesn’t do anything else. He searches the main floor instead. “She’s here,” he murmurs but frowns when he doesn’t see the same woman from before. “She’s near here.”

Atsumu hums, “I think she’s in the back.” He looks over again to eye the remaining group of guys and isn’t surprised to see a different female joining them. Her irises flicker gold when she glances up at a service android and Atsumu quickly looks away before she can spot them. He positions himself in front of Hinata’s face. “She’s probably in the back,” he whispers, watching as the green doesn’t fade from Hinata’s eyes. Back here, they can’t explain the color difference. The neon lights aren’t are bright as they were in the previous clubs they visited and if those other people see him, they might be able to make the connection.

Hinata glances off to the side, past Atsumu’s face. “Yeah, she’s back there,” he confirms, looking back to him right after.

The way Hinata’s eyes almost verge on animalistic, a primal hunger in his eyes despite the green still being very much present, is enough for Atsumu’s breath to get caught in his throat. This isn’t the first time he’s seen it but in a situation like this—this close to him—, it feels _very much different_. “Shou,” he breathes, watching as Hinata smiles, wide enough to look like a predator catching its prey.

The heat simmering in his armlet is bearable. But when he feels it spike, high enough for it to burn, he slowly reaches into the holster underneath the back of his jacket. He carefully wraps his hand around the gun sitting there and turns the moment he realizes he can’t actually hear people speaking anymore. Nobody is left but the people in the opposite booth and he’d commend this Experiment for sparing innocent lives and flushing them out, but there are still at least five other people with her. He and Hinata don’t have the advantage.

Hinata reaches beneath his jacket to grab his own dagger and Atsumu can feel the _click_ when he takes it off of his holster. “I think it’s time to play,” he says, crawling off of Atsumu’s lap after. He looks ready to fight and Atsumu’s ready to back him up.

Though when they get up, nobody moves. The other men and woman spread out across the floor, but that’s it. It’s like they’re waiting for something and Atsumu keeps his eyes on them while Hinata snarls at the back hallway. Slowly, they hear the rhythmic click of high heels and Atsumu winces at the heat spiking in his armlet. It’s never enough to actually burn unless the Experiment loses total control, but it’s still never the most pleasant feeling on the planet. He shifts his hand into the grooves on the grip of the gun and catches a glimpse of it as it activates, sensing all the experiments around him and ready to fire when needed.

“The men told me there was an agent here who’s just like me,” she calls out. She steps out of the hallway and Atsumu is surprised by how well she’s dressed. She doesn’t look like she’s here to fight, but then that means she either has to surrender—which is honestly the more appealing route, considering they were ordered to take her in alive—or Atsumu has to kill her, in the end. “I was hoping it’d be you. You’re handsome.”

“I have to admit, you’re pretty up close,” Hinata confesses, but his stance doesn’t change and Atsumu quickly glances back to the others whose eyes are steadily glowing brighter. “You managed to get a lot of them to work with you.”

“A pretty face with some pretty words and skills helps,” she says with a laugh. She eyes him before staring straight at Atsumu, and he frowns when she tilts her head and runs her gaze down his body and back up to his face. “Pretty human.”

Atsumu isn’t entirely sure if he should feel pleased by that or not.

“Let me guess,” she continues on, a moment later. Atsumu glances at Hinata who hasn’t moved before he shifts away from the three people near him. “You’re here to capture me. Do they treat you any different? They _must_ know you’re an Experiment like us.”

Silence answers her and Atsumu doesn’t chance a look away from the people in front of him.

“Agent Hinata,” she muses. His armlet starts to heat up more and he grits his teeth. “A pet of the government? Did they give you a standard-issue gun? Or is it only a dagger like that?”

Hinata flips the dagger in his hand so the blade is facing up instead of down. Atsumu can’t see his expression. He can’t focus on him when the three nearest him are starting to move. He eyes all of them, intending to shoot the biggest one first and the one closest to him second, but then he hears a scream. Atsumu takes that as his cue to proceed with his plan, and then he’s running forward to reach the female subordinate before she shoots at him, too.

Unlike them, Atsumu and Hinata’s bullets aren’t meant to kill. They’re meant to incapacitate any experiments it lodges itself into, but there have been instances where the delayed negating charges in the bullets overcome the natural electrical system in the body. It makes it difficult for them to recover enough to move or talk and, sometimes, they never recover and eventually pass away. Their priority is always to capture and retrieve, but whether the targets come back alive or dead, it’s not up to them.

Atsumu grunts when a bullet hits the left side of his stomach, and then his shoulder. He aims and shoots at the female immediately after, but then he’s tackled from behind and he gasps when he hits the floor. A punch lands on his back before the body above him freezes and shakes—Hinata shooting at him. The armlet suddenly cools at the action as it absorbs the unnatural shock and Atsumu twists and reaches up to tug the body over him before the female attempts to shoot him while he’s down. When he hears a lull, he looks up, searches for her, and immediately shoots before she screams and falls to the floor, convulsing.

He sighs, grateful for the creators to give him an updated armlet with the absorption ability, as he shoves the body off and searches to see where Hinata and the other targets are. He’s already shot down the other subordinate and now it’s just him and the female. Both of their eyes glow green and Atsumu yelps when one of the lights on the ceiling suddenly short-circuits and explodes. It causes glass to shatter and he covers his face with an arm before he takes a few steps away from them.

Hinata’s back is to him. He isn’t crouched anymore but standing straight, and Atsumu eyes the gun in his right hand, originally hidden in the holster attached to his left side under the jacket. It’s still activated to shoot but he knows how Hinata even hates using the thing because it makes him feel weird.

“‘Tsumu,” Hinata suddenly calls out. It catches his attention and he can see how it pulls the woman’s attention to him as well. He doesn’t say anything else though, and Atsumu can’t help staring at him a bit longer, trying to figure out what he meant to say with his name, and winces as he places his wrist onto his side when he moves.

The woman’s eyes are locked on him and he flinches when he feels a sudden shock of electricity until it gets redirected to his armlet. It’s becoming colder the longer the woman stares at him and he raises his hand away from his side to aim and shoot at the woman. She doesn’t flinch, but the bullet barely reaches her and he mentally curses at the sight of that.

It’s like a film of static surrounds her despite not seeing anything physical. It’s unnerving in the worst way possible and it only brings flashbacks for Atsumu, from two years ago. A different target acted just like this and it took a lot more than specialized bullets to take them down. It required both him and Osamu to get physical and, even then, Atsumu was the one who suffered the most from that incident.

“You really are more powerful than expected,” Hinata quietly murmurs. But, Atsumu realizes he doesn’t sound scared at all. He sounds like he’s in awe and he’s surprised when Hinata looks over his shoulder at him to give him a small smile. Bright, green eyes, almost like a feral animal. “Let’s take her down.”

That pulls a laugh out of the woman, but Atsumu can’t help but rise to the challenge. He ignores the pain in his side as he tries to figure out what Hinata will do next. “You’re really asking for a lot, y’know,” he sighs out. It earns him a short burst of laughter, and then Atsumu moves first.

He runs at her while shooting the rest of the bullets in his magazine. Most of them disintegrate before hitting her but the last two penetrate her shield and knick her arms. He doesn’t stop running and his breath hitches when he hears Hinata covering for him before more light fixtures explode and Atsumu is fighting hand-to-hand with the woman. With heels on, she’s unstable on her feet but she kicks at his leg before hitting him square in the stomach and he wheezes. He throws out a punch, expecting her to dodge, and then spins to capture her from behind in his arms.

She screams before she quiets and Atsumu fights to wrestle her arms behind her, working through the electricity she keeps sending his way. He can feel his muscles start to convulse, his armlet turning ice cold, and he stutters out a breath when Hinata suddenly rushes forward and punches the woman in the stomach. She gasps, hunching over in pain, and then Hinata is putting a hand on her head.

When Atsumu looks up at him, Hinata’s giving him his cute smile instead of his feral one. His eyes are still green, but then he’s holding up his dagger like he’s asking him a question. All Atsumu can do is roll his eyes before Hinata cuts at her side. The direct contact of his specialized weapon makes her scream before she convulses, and then she goes limp. Atsumu lets her fall to the ground without preamble and he sighs as he can finally fall back onto his butt and hold onto his side.

“I’m gonna kiss you now,” is all Atsumu hears and a dull thud before he looks up in shock. Hinata is suddenly climbing into his lap and then he’s kissing him senseless. Atsumu can only see Hinata’s closed eyes for a brief moment before the other licks at his lips, and then he stops thinking. He groans as he closes his eyes to get lost in the kiss and he moves his arm holding onto his side to wrap around Hinata’s waist instead. He pulls him in close, parting his lips for him, and gasps when Hinata licks into his mouth.

The kiss is insistent, probably working off of adrenaline, but Hinata is cradling his head like he can’t get enough and _wow_ , Atsumu feels like he’s getting dizzy from it. He doesn’t even realize when Hinata stops. He only keeps chasing him when he pulls away and the trance is broken when he feels a puff of laughter against his lips.

“We need to call Kita-san for clean-up,” Hinata murmurs. His eyes are slowly fading back to their natural color, a bright smile pulling at his lips with flushed cheeks, and Atsumu is _gone_. “And get you checked out.”

There are freckles on Hinata’s cheeks. He’s never noticed that before. “What?”

Hinata’s laughter is infectious. It pulls his own smile out and he chuckles with him, yelping when Hinata uses the grip he has on his head to pull him in for another kiss. He’s demanding and _god_ , Atsumu can’t resist using his own hold around Hinata’s waist to pull him in as close as he can, until he can feel Hinata’s own groans reverberate through his body.

And then Atsumu shifts the wrong way. Pain blossoms in his side and his shoulder and he yelps, pulling back from Hinata with a gasp. He winces as he moves another way and he finally realizes the reason he hasn’t felt pain in his shoulder much at all is because of how cold his armlet is. He glances down to see how much blood he’s spilled, and then flushes when he sees how close he and Hinata are. “Uh,” he blurts out, quickly looking up to see Hinata still staring at him, eyes and smile soft. “Shou.”

“Yeah, ‘Tsumu?”

Atsumu attempts to move again and winces when it makes pain bloom _everywhere_. “Can ya, uh,” he mumbles, glancing down to see if Hinata even got injured anywhere. “How did you not even get hit?”

“I can do almost the same thing she can?” is the answer he receives, paired with a sheepish grin. Hinata suddenly looks around them next, not even removing his hands where they lay gently on his shoulders, and hums. “I’ll call Kita-san.”

That still doesn’t explain _anything_ and Atsumu is so confused. He reaches up with the hand that was wrapped around Hinata’s waist, threads fingers through his hair, and brings him in for another kiss instead. Hinata immediately hums at the gesture and this is nice. This is really nice. Atsumu _really_ likes this. He whines when Hinata pushes at him, and then yelps when Hinata reaches down to touch the wound in his shoulder.

“Kita-san,” Hinata reiterates. Though, he doesn’t look aggravated or concerned at all. He still looks happy to him. “Phone.”

Dumbly, Atsumu shifts the littlest bit he can as he reaches to get his phone from his back pocket. He glances over to their booth to see Hinata’s dagger embedded in the back cushioning and his phone on the seat. “Yer—”

“Attractive?” his partner helpfully supplies, easily unlocking his phone and looking up Shinsuke’s number.

Atsumu lets loose a laugh at that, turning back to see Hinata smiling cheekily at him while putting the phone up to his ear. “I was gonna say ‘a mess.’”

“Hello, Kita-san,” Hinata greets, staring at him. “We’ve completed the case and caught her. There are also five lower class Experiments present, all incapacitated.” He eyes his body next and Atsumu flushes at the gesture. “Miya suffered two bullet wounds but is still able to move at will. I’m fine!”

Suddenly, Atsumu can hear Shinsuke laughing.

“She was actually very interesting,” his partner continues. “She matched me in power, but Atsumu was able to restrain her before I put her down.”

There should be absolutely no reason for them to still be sitting like this, with bodies all around them, but Atsumu isn’t complaining. He simply sits there listening to Hinata detail this entire event to their supervisor despite still having to document it when they return and he groans when he suddenly remembers he still has _three other files_ to fill out before this one. He leans forward to put his forehead on Hinata’s shoulder and he sighs when Hinata instinctively lifts up a hand to card fingers through his hair.

“Oh, hi ‘Samu,” Hinata suddenly chirps. “You’re right. I think we’re officially dating now.”

Wait.

What.

Atsumu reels back so fast he aggravates his injuries and collapses back onto the floor. “What,” he wheezes out, staring up at the one lone light fixture still working in this area. He grunts when Hinata leans over onto his knees on either side of him.

“Well, he didn’t ask but maybe I should,” he keeps saying. He’s smiling at him and Atsumu’s pretty sure he can hear _Osamu_ laughing now. “He might say no though!”

There’s a sparkle in Hinata’s eyes, a pretty mixture of green and gold glowing right at him, and Atsumu can’t help holding his breath when he sees Hinata lean down further towards him. His free hand is pressing against his chest, Atsumu can barely hear his brother talking through the receiver, and he almost whimpers when Hinata gives him the softest kiss on the lips he’s ever had.

“‘Tsumu will probably need a week to recover, but I’m available to do cases with Sakusa-san. I can meet you in your office when we get back tomorrow.” Oh, he’s talking to Shinsuke now. “Yes. I’ll make sure he’s fine—oh, really? Well, we’ll return in two days, then. Thank you. I’ll make sure he doesn’t overdo it.”

A few more words, then Hinata is hanging up. He’s staring at his phone and Atsumu doesn’t even know what to do anymore. He should probably take care of his wounds, though. That seems like a smart idea. He hisses when a pressure is suddenly applied to the wound in his side and he looks down to see Hinata pressing a handkerchief on it. He winces when Hinata pushes more into it while also prodding his shoulder. “Should I be concerned that ‘Samu and Shin are together right now? Office hours are technically closed.”

“You shouldn’t be,” Hinata muses. HIs head perks up and Atsumu doesn’t know why until Hinata is climbing off of him to sit beside him instead and then the doors to the establishment open. Various people in specialty black suits storm the place and Atsumu breathes a sigh of relief when that means they get to go back to the hotel soon. Hinata only moves when a medic rushes over to check them out.

By the time they make it back to the hotel, disheveled but with a new shirt, courtesy of the local office, Atsumu doesn’t hesitate removing his weapons, his clothes, his armlet, and immediately making a beeline for the shower. He’s beyond tired, mentally and physically, and he sighs as the first hot droplets of the water hit his shoulders. He didn’t even see where Hinata went, but he could hear him rummaging around in his own suitcase and changing the television station to a different channel.

He takes his time washing his hair, carefully moving his left arm and side, and winces when he glances down to see some blood going down the drain. It doesn’t last long, the stitches doing its work, but maybe he should really talk to Shinsuke about getting those new bulletproof bodysuits even though they’re still in the developmental and prototype stage. He sighs as he finally turns off the shower and stands there for a minute before wrapping his towel around himself and heading out.

“I ordered some food and—holy crap.”

Atsumu looks up from the ground to see Hinata staring at him with wide eyes and a slack jaw. It takes a good ten seconds for the situation to catch up to him in his brain and he bites the inside of his lip the moment he starts feeling heat pool in his cheeks. “Uh,” he helpfully says, gradually moving towards his suitcase that’s past Hinata. “I forgot to grab clothes.” He jumps when Hinata drops the remote and runs past him straight for the bathroom, slamming the door right behind him. He stands there in shock for a moment. “Uh, Shou?” he calls out, looking over to see that, yes, the bathroom door is closed again.

“Do you wanna be my boyfriend?” is what answers him. Hinata is shouting through the door and Atsumu wonders briefly if their neighbors can hear them. “You’re so hot and you’re so kind, but sometimes you’re insufferable, but you’re _so attractive, ‘Tsumu_. Please be my boyfriend.”

Never once, in all his life, did Atsumu expect to be confessed to, in the middle of a hotel room, only wearing a towel, while his confessor is hiding behind a bathroom door. He didn’t expect his confessor to be anything but a normal human either but, well, here he is. He laughs, a pleasant warmth spreading through him.

“Don’t laugh at me! I can probably maim you if I wish it hard enough!”

That’s strangely endearing. “Then I wouldn’t be around for ya to date,” he calls back, laughing some more when he hears a thud against the door. “Yer actually really cute.”

“The fucking _accent!_ ” Hinata suddenly screeches. “God!”

Well, damn.

“You’re so fucking hot. Are we dating yet, did you say yes?”

Oh.

“Miya Atsumu!”

 _Oh_.

Atsumu swallows the lump in his throat before looking down at himself. He should really put some clothes on, and ace wrap, and more bandages, because he has a terrible feeling Hinata is going to accidentally open up his wounds or cause it to bleed or— “Give me a sec’,” he calls out, putting on the first clean clothes he finds before walking over to bang on the bathroom door. “Shouyou.”

“I’m not openin’ this door until you say yes.”

With a breathless laugh, Atsumu lets his head fall forward, gently placing his forehead on the door. “What if I don’t?”

Hinata groans, “Stop being _difficult_.”

“Ain’tcha the one bein’ difficult?” Atsumu is so amused. “I’ll say yes if ya come outta the bathroom.” This time, Atsumu is prepared to see Hinata’s bright eyes and bright smile. He looks so incredibly happy, and then he pouts. Atsumu frowns. “What? Want me to say no?”

“No!” Hinata blurts out, quickly eyeing his outfit. “You’re just not naked anymore.”

Atsumu lets out the strangest sound he can muster, his entire face going red as he instantly falls into a crouch on the floor with his head in his curled up arms. He doesn’t understand how Hinata can say all this and be _so earnest about it_ and not even _turn pink_. He doesn’t even register the fingers sliding down the side of his face before they take hold and he’s being guided up out of his arms to stare at Hinata instead. His eyes look like chocolate opal, light brown with bright green and gold. They’re mesmerizing and Atsumu lets out a slow, shaky sigh at the sight of them.

“Get up,” Hinata orders. It’s so sudden, Atsumu doesn’t register it until he says it a second time. “Get up, ‘Tsumu.”

So, he does. He stands up, confused, and is now staring down at him while he’s being guided backwards. It’s only a couple of steps until he stops and then Hinata is keeping his distance of a few centimeters away from him. They aren’t touching each other at all again and Atsumu swears he’s going to get whiplash from this. “What’re you doin’?” he asks, searching Hinata’s face for some sort of explanation.

Slowly, Hinata pulls his bottom lip under his teeth and then he sighs out whatever nerves seems to take over him. “I’m out of the bathroom,” he answers. He closes his eyes next and grimaces.

Atsumu has no idea why he said that until he replays their most recent conversation in his head. It makes him dizzy, his heart races, and he wants to collapse at how incredible _cute_ Hinata is about this. He stifles a laugh as he stares at him a bit longer, still waiting patiently, before he lifts his hands to gently cradle Hinata’s head. He can see and hear him gasp at his touch, but his eyes remain closed. Only when Atsumu leans down close enough to count the freckles on Hinata’s cheeks and the eyelashes on his eyes, he murmurs, “Yes,” and kisses him on the lips.

The reaction is almost immediate. Hinata whimpers at the contact and clings onto his shirt. This kiss is simple but insistent and Atsumu groans when he feels Hinata lick at the seam of his lips again. He doesn’t push any further, but he does tilt his head to nudge his nose against his own. When they pull apart, Hinata looks dazed and pleased. It fills a warmth in Atsumu’s chest.

“So, we’re dating?” he asks, his lips curving up gently in a smile. “Are you officially my boyfriend?”

Atsumu can’t believe his ears. He laughs as he leans down to kiss Hinata’s forehead. “Yes, we’re datin’,” he answers. “Yer officially my boyfriend.”

Suddenly, Hinata falters, almost falling to the floor, and Atsumu rushes to catch him under his arms. “So fucking hot and you’re _mine_ ,” Hinata suddenly whines. The green and gold are pulsing brighter now, but Atsumu isn’t sure if the sight of that or his partner’s words are what make heat crawl up the back of his neck to settle in his cheeks.

Hinata kisses him before he can give any more thoughts to that.

Honestly speaking, Shouyou is an attractive man. He knows what he wants and he goes for it, even if he might be wrong. He knows when to back off or to keep pushing and Atsumu’s pretty certain that’s another reason why people flock to him. Shouyou radiates _confidence_ and he can see it in the way he moves around Onigiri Miya. It’s not even the fact Shouyou can talk and laugh with whoever he’s with, but it’s the fact that he _knows_ he’s great at communication— Atsumu almost chokes on his drink when Shouyou lifts his gaze over to him from across the restaurant. There’s a small smile on his lips and it’s _cute_.

“Now that I know yer datin’, yer disgustin’.”

Atsumu throws his used up napkin at his brother, smiling when that gets him a laugh out of Osamu. “Ya could’ve told me Shou-kun had been eyein’ me since he joined.” He dodges and laughs when his brother throws a balled up clean napkin at him instead.

“Didn’t trust him then,” Osamu confesses. He’s still smiling while going back to making food and Atsumu’s content to just watch him. “Surprised he was the one to go for ya first. Yer stupid.”

“‘m not!” Atsumu instantly argues, then grimaces when he thinks about it a second longer. “I mean, a lil.”

“A lil stupid?” his brother challenges. “Hinata is good for ya after all.”

“Of course I am!”

Atsumu sucks in a sharp breath when he feels arms wrap around his waist from the side. A chin plops itself on his shoulder next and he doesn’t have to look over to see Shouyou giving Osamu his cheeky smile.

“Nauseatin’,” Osamu comments, but he’s grinning anyways. “Shin told ya of yer next assignment?”

“Mhm!”

By now, Atsumu is getting used to the fact that his brother and Shouyou are actually great friends. They always talk to each other as if he isn’t even there, but that doesn’t really matter when he can lean his head against Shouyou’s on his shoulder. The touch is reassuring and he hums when he feels Shouyou slip fingers underneath the side of his shirt to rest against bare skin.

And then he remembers.

“Do Shin an’ ya got somethin’ goin’ on?” Atsumu blurts out. He doesn’t even move from his spot leaning against Shouyou. “‘Cause I feel like ya got somethin’ goin’ on.”

Ever since they were kids, Atsumu’s always hated how Osamu can keep a poker face way easier than him. As it is, his brother just blinks at him before returning to his current task. “Yer stupid,” he says. The words make Atsumu bolt out of his seat and it takes a laughing Shouyou to hold him back with hands on his arm and waist.

“‘Samu!” he shouts. He almost gets a knee up on the bar before he feels a bare palm snaking up his bare side and he freezes when he realizes Shouyou is _feeling him up_. He glares when he sees his brother _smirk_ at him.

“Now that I’ve gotten your attention,” Shouyou calmly says. He doesn’t move his hands though and Atsumu is slightly terrified yet highly curious what he’d do if he did keep moving forward to strangle his brother. “Shin does have a case for us and it requires immediate attention. Sakusa-san and Ushijima-san need assistance.”

That’s not something they hear every day and Atsumu looks over his shoulder to see Shouyou giving him an unsure grin. “Since when do _they_ need assistance?”

Shouyou shrugs and Atsumu is concerned.

“Take these for the road,” Osamu suddenly says. When Atsumu looks over to his brother, he’s already got a bag of food waiting for them. “Ya didn’t eat yet so eat in the car. It’s a couple hours drive from here.”

There are so many questions Atsumu wants to ask, but there’s no time apparently. He grabs the proffered bag, feeling grateful when his brother pats his shoulder next, and then turns when Shouyou removes his hands on him to grab his hand instead. He opens his mouth to ask _something_ , but he forgets what when Shouyou suddenly leans up to kiss him on the lips. It’s quick and sweet and Atsumu smiles wide when he hears his brother shout, “Get a room!”

They leave the moment Atsumu’s phone rings. He answers it quickly and is surprised to see a flash of bright blue before he holds it out in front of him and Shouyou. A holograph of Sakusa appears before them and Atsumu snickers when he sees him grimace. Then, he sees the blood on his forehead.

“ _Miya, hurry your ass over here. We need Hinata’s assistance_.”

The feed cuts off before Atsumu can make any sort of retort. It’s really not all that concerning to him, considering Sakusa still has the ability to make a call like that, but he and Shouyou hurry to put the car in drive anyways to make their way to where Shinsuke told Shouyou to go. He can make it there in probably an hour and he hums when he feels Shouyou hold one of the onigiri up to his lips.

“Gotta put your armlet back on, too,” Shouyou reminds.

Atsumu can’t help but smile, taking a bite of the food. “Yeah, I know.”

“Man, I hope this doesn’t get insane.”

“It’s Omi-kun and Ushijima,” he answers, rolling his eyes at the thought of them. “They’re completely unpredictable.”

At that, Shouyou hums. “You’d think that’d be us.”

Atsumu can’t help but laugh at that.

Who knew this is where they’d end up?


End file.
